Just Like You
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Prompt from EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel - AU - Cora is Mayor and married to Rumple. They have three kids, Bae, Zelena and Regina. Cora takes Regina for her first haircut. At first Regina is excited but once the haircut is finished she's miserable for days. Can Cora find a way to cheer her up?


_Can you do an AU where there is no curse. Cora is Mayor of the small town Storybrooke, is married to Rumple and they have 3 children. 6 year old Bae, 5 year old Zelena and 3 year old Regina. Cora takes Regina to the hairdresser to get her first haircut. At first the little toddler is excited but after her hair is cut short she cries for days on end and won't play with her siblings and won't talk to her mother. Cora is so desperate and decides to get a pixie cut too to cheer her daughter up – EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel_

_Thanks for the prompt. Apologies for any mistakes. I don't own Once or its characters. Hope you all enjoy :) _

"Are you sure about this Regina?" Cora asks bending down to her youngest daughter's eye level. Zelena had her hair cut at this age and so did Bae but Regina is much more sensitive about these things.

Zelena couldn't wait to get her hair cut. She still cut and loves zipping around the hairdressers and pretending to give haircuts to her younger sister. Bae often winds up cutting his own hair so the hairdressers is more of a place to tidy up his hair than anything else.

With Regina, whilst she has been excited about this for days, Cora has no idea how she'll react. Regina is her baby and she loathes upsetting her and she dreads that this haircut will. She twirls one of her daughter's curls in her hand knowing this day had to come eventually. Truth be told her hesitation is for herself too. Doing this means her baby girl is growing up. With each of her children she resisted taking them for haircuts wanting them to keep their baby curls for as long as possible.

It was her husband who convinced her that no matter what their hair looked like they will always be her babies.

"Momma!" Regina shouts, "Go in! Go in!"

The toddler tugs at her mother's hand to try and get her to hurry up and in to the hairdressers. Cora smiles at her daughter's excitement before following Regina into the salon. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Regina nods, "Bae gets haircuts so does Zellie and I big like them so I get haircut too."

Cora ruffles Regina's toddler curls for a final time before lifting her up and into the chair. "So how much do you want off sweetie?" Cora asks. "Just down to your shoulders…."

"All of it!" Regina squeals excitedly.

"All of it?" Cora asks stunned.

The hairdresser turns to her, "Should I cut it all?"

Cora nods, "Give her a pixie cut," she says knowing how demanding Regina is and recognising a moment where it's better to give her what she wants rather than fight her on it.

Regina claps her hands excitedly as the lady begins to cut her hair thrilled to finally be a big girl getting a haircut just like her Mama and sister. She beams up at Cora, "I just like you Mama getting a haircut."

Cora smiles watching as her daughter's brown curls tumble to the floor. She sniffs back a tear knowing that her baby is officially growing up before smiling proudly at her little girl. The hairdresser hands her a curl for Cora to put in Regina's baby book.

Regina frowns in confusion, "Mama why did she give you my hair?"

"So I can stick it in your baby book as a reminder of your very first haircut honey."

"Oh," Regina says, "Do you keep it forever and ever?"

Regina smiles as the hairdresser announces, "All done Mayor Mills."

"Thank you," Cora says before paying the lady and leaving her a generous tip. As she does she hears a loud whimper that usually precedes her daughter's sobbing. She throws the money down before hurrying over to the chair to find Regina staring at her reflection, and newly cut hair, crying.

"Regina sweetie what's wrong?"

"My hair's all gone," Regina hiccups as she runs her hand through her new pixie cut.

Cora frowns, "But you wanted it all off."

"I don't anymore!" Regina strops slamming her little fists into the chair, "I want my hair back Momma!"

Cora sighs before lifting her daughter out of the chair. She can see the hairdresser offering her a sympathetic smile as they walk out. Cora settles her still sobbing child into her car seat. "Regina honey please calm down."

"I want my hair back!"

"Regina it will grow back in a few weeks," Cora tries.

"I want it now. Tell the lady to put it back," Regina sobs.

"Regina she can't."

"Why?"

"Because you had it cut off. Once it's cut off you can't put it back on. You just have to wait for it to grow back."

"But that will take ages!" Regina whines.

"It won't be that long honey I promise."

Regina doesn't answer instead continuing to sob into her hands. She turns away from her mother with a sulky look and a sniff. Cora has to hold back her own tears when she sees her youngest daughter glaring at her in the rearview mirror.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong with her?" Rumple asks as Cora opens the door to her car. He could hear Regina sobbing from the doorway. Cora moves to get her daughter out of the car only for Regina to fold her arms and shake her head.<p>

"Come on sweetheart let's just go home."

"No!" Regina sobs, "I don't want anyone to see me! I just want my hair back!"

Cora sighs turning to her husband, "Can you get her?" she asks Rumple. He nods placing his hand on her shoulder before kissing her briefly, "Of course I can. Zellie and Bae are in the playroom."

She nods before walking in to the house. She briefly wipes away a tear not wanting any of her kids to see her upset. She hates it whenever they're upset or mad at her. Her kids are her world and she hopes Regina gets over this haircut quickly.

"Where's my prince and big princess?" Cora asks popping her head around the playroom door.

"MOMMA!" Bae shouts running over to his Mom and hugging her, "Did 'Gina get her haircut?"

"Yes she did," Cora replies, "Were you a good boy for your Papa?"

"I'm always good," Bae says with a smile.

"What about you Zellie?"

Zelena nods twirling her red curls before throwing herself into her Mama's eyes, "Hi Momma."

"Hello sweetpea," Cora says hugging them both tight.

"Where's Gina?" Zelena asks looking around for her little sister.

"She's a little upset right now honey but I'm sure she'll be in here playing with you two in a minute. Just give her time to calm down okay?"

Zelena frowns, "Why is she upset?"

"She didn't like her haircut," Cora says.

"Oh, but I thought she wanted to be a big girl like us?" Zelena asks.

"She does but she doesn't like her haircut right now. I'm sure she'll cheer up soon," Cora answers hopefully. Her two elder children nod before going back to whatever game they were playing and Cora walks off in search of her husband and youngest child.

She finds Rumple in the kitchen making tea but no Regina. "Where's 'Gina?" Cora asks. He sighs, "She ran off upstairs to her room. She won't come out yet."

Cora runs her hand over her face as she slumps down into a chair at the kitchen table, "I knew I shouldn't have taken her to the hairdressers."

Rumple walks up behind her and hugs her. He kisses her temple, "Oh dearie you know she had to go."

"She hates me now."

"No she doesn't. She's just upset Cora. Remember the time we accidentally threw away her favourite doll. She was mad for a few days but then she got over it. She'll get over this and then you'll be her favourite again. Regina loves you dearie. She'll sulk for a few days then she'll be back to normal."

Cora nods relaxing into her husband's hold. They've been through a lot in the past eight years but she's loved every minute of it. Eight years ago she was given a choice between life with Rumple or life with a rich financier who wanted to give her the world. She made the right choice. Now she's the Mayor of a small town. She has three beautiful children and a husband who loves her and who she loves.

Now she just hopes Regina forgives her.

* * *

><p>It's been four days since the now infamous haircut and all Regina has done is cry. She won't talk to her mother. She won't play with Zelena and Neal. All she does is mope around the house sobbing. Cora looks over to her sulking daughter with a defeated sigh. She wishes she knew how to fix this.<p>

Rumple comes in juggling Bae in one hand and Zelena on his back, "Good morning Cora."

"Morning," she replies and he follows her gaze to the still miserable tot. He frowns before setting Zelena and Bae down at the table. He greets his wife for a kiss before picking Regina up, "Okay little one it's time for a Papa/Daughter chat."

The other three watch as they leave and Zelena turns her Mama with a frown, "Momma is 'Gina ever gonna cheer up?"

"I hope so sweetie," Cora replies ruffling her hair. She knows Zelena misses having her little sister around to play with and she can tell Bae does too. Usually Regina is loud and excitable running around the house happily joining in with whatever chaos may be going on. To her be moping around and miserable for this long has everybody down.

Rumple comes back in setting Regina back down in her seat before gesturing for Cora to join him just outside of the kitchen.

"I know what's wrong," he says.

"What?" Cora asks, "And how do we cheer her up?"

"When she had longer hair she was just like you," he says before wrapping one of her shoulder length curls around his finger. Cora looks down at it and nods, "Now with short hair she doesn't."

He nods, "That's right. You know what she's like Cora. She's a mini-you and she wants to be just like you. I think maybe she thinks now she won't be."

Cora runs her hand through her curls before an idea pops into mind, "I know how to cheer her up," she says, "Can you watch the kids for an hour?"

"Of course I can dearie. Do I get to know the plan?"

She smiles kissing him before tapping his chest, "I'll surprise you too Rumple."

He smiles, "You always do."

* * *

><p>Cora returns an hour later to find her children and husband in the lounge. "Momma's home," she calls out and they all turn before gasping to see her with a pixie cut.<p>

"Momma! Your hair's all gone!" Zelena cries out.

"I know sweetie. I got it cut."

Zelena smiles before turning to her younger sister who's smiling for the first time in days, "Now she's just like you 'Gina."

"What do you think Rum?" Cora asks her husband. He looks at her with a grin before kissing her lovingly, "I think you look beautiful as always."

She smiles back at him before kneeling down in front of her three children. "I have something for you."

"What?" Bae asks curiously. She pulls out three sets of curls. It took some persuading but as Mayor she was able to get the hairdresser to set aside three of her cut curls. She had them ribboned up and now hands one to each of her kids.

"Uh Momma?" Zelena asks confusedly.

Cora smiles at her before looking at Regina, "Do you remember the lady gave me some of your hair?"

Regina nods, "Yep."

"Well I thought maybe you could have some of mine so you can remember the day I got my hair cut to look just like you."

Regina smiles looking down at the small curl before back at her mother. She suddenly launches off of the couch before wrapping her arms around her grinning mother. "Love you Momma."

"I love you too sweetie and no matter what you look like you'll always be my little princess and you can be like whoever you want to be like."

"I want to be just like you," Regina replies with a bright smile that Cora has missed so much the past few days. She's just glad she was able to make that smile come back.

_Thanks for reading :) _


End file.
